Booster's task eased
Rooster Booster will face an easier task than expected tomorrow when he makes his seasonal reappearance in the Tote Bula Hurdle, following the defection of Australian import Specular.
The Jonjo O’Neill-trained seven-year-old was bought by JP McManus following his most recent appearance Down Under in June.
However, O’Neill had to rule the gelding out of the extended two-mile contest this afternoon.
He said: “He knocked himself this morning, but hopefully it is nothing too serious.”
That leaves the Champion Hurdle winner to face six rivals including the classy Spirit Leader and recent ‘Fighting Fifth’ winner The French Furze.
Rooster Booster scored in this Cheltenham Grade Two event last year by two and a half lengths from Landing Light and went on to slam the field in the Champion Hurdle in March.
Philip Hobbs’ charge will continue his successful partnership with jockey Richard Johnson.
One of his rivals will be Davenport Milenium, who has been lightly raced in the last 18 months.
The Willie Mullins-trained seven-year-old rattled up a hat-trick of wins in the spring of 2002, including two Grade One hurdles, and then finished third to Intersky Falcon in Kempton’s Pertemps Christmas Hurdle.
“Davenport missed most of last season and I have just got to get some match practice into him,” Mullins said today.
“I want to get a few runs into him before it gets too soft. This might come a bit quick after his first run, but I think he is in good enough form.”
Davenport Milenium is quoted a general 20-1 chance for the Champion Hurdle and Mullins is keen to educate the gelding about the quirks of Prestbury Park.
“The idea about running tomorrow is to give him some Cheltenham experience, just to see how he handles travelling and the track and everything like that. It should tell us more about where we are going to go with him for the rest of the year.”
On his first start since his Kempton third, the gelding finished a respectable fourth to Solerina in a Grade One hurdle at Fairyhouse.
“His comeback was just pleasing enough,” Mullins said. “He ran as we thought he would. I’m looking for improvement. The conditions of the race should suit him, but I don’t think he is back to his full fitness just yet.”
Five-year-old Rigmarole scored over course and distance last time out when victorious in the Greatwood Hurdle.
Richard Thornton’s mount appears to be improving, and the same could be argued of Jessica Harrington’s Spirit Leader.
The daughter of Supreme Leader has not been seen since landing the spoils in the Vincent O’Brien County Hurdle at last term’s Festival. Mick Fitzgerald takes the ride for the first time tomorrow.
With Specular put, the master of Jackdaws Castle has just one entry in the Grade Two event, Hasty Prince.
The mount of champion jockey Tony McCoy gained a smooth victory over two and a half miles at Chepstow last month but disappointed when tried over today’s course and distance last time out.
Flame Creek completes the line-up and will be bidding to gain his fourth success on the bounce, despite being well-beaten when last tried at this level.
